US2917109A - Headrest - Google Patents

Description

1959 c. w. MARSH Q 2,917,109

' FEADREST Filed June 4. 1957 IN VEN TOR.

. 0/2 ar/es (A/Marsh BY fimZa/Wm/ A T TORN EAS.

HEADREST Charles W. Marsh, Los Angeles, Calif. Application June 4, 1957, Serial No. 663,409

3 Claims. or. 155-111 1 The invention relates to headrests for use in connection with seats or chairs in automobiles, buses, railway cars, and airplanes.

, An object of the invention is to provide a headrest which will offer comfortable support to the head of a user and hold the same against rolling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a headrest which when not in use will be flush with the back of the chair.

' be inconspicuous and will not detract from the appearance of the chair to any material degree.

I With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a passenger chair having a headrest secured thereto embodying the invention and shown in the position of use;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but with the headrest shown in the position of non-use flush with the back of the chair;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section view of a fragmentary portion of a chair, showing the connecting structure by means of which the headrest is secured to the back of the chair;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the headrest adjusting mechanism taken substantially along line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an edge view of a modified construction; and

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a further modification.

Referring to the drawing in more detail, 10 designates a passenger seat or chair, only a portion of which has been shown for a clear understanding of the present invention. The chair shown is conventional and intended to be representative of a passenger seat or chair of a bus, railway car, airplane and like seating arrangements. The chair is preferably of the type in which the backrest 11 thereof may be inclined in a usual manner for the comfort of a user.

According to the present invention, the upper portion of the backrest 11 at one end thereof is recessed as at 12 and the outer walls of the recess may have a covering 13 similar to the covering 14 of the backrest 11. A shaft 15 is mounted within the frame of the backrest 11 and is held stationary in any appropriate manner, as by way of example, clamp fastening 16 secured to the frame 17 of said backrest. The shaft 15 extends into recess 12 between the opposite surfaces of the backrest 11 and is provided with a ratchet wheel 18 which may be formed integral with the shaft by cutting the teeth directly into the end portion of said shaft.

2,917,109 Patented Dec. 15, 1959 ice.

The headrest 19 may be conveniently made as shown having an open frame 20 on which is supported a padding of suitable material, as for example, foam rubber 21, over which extends a covering 22 of a material similar to the covering of backrest 11. The headrest is journalled on shaft 15 by means of a sleeve 23 which is secured to the frame 20 through which the shaft projects. A collar 24 is secured on the shaft 15 adjacent the inner end of the sleeve 23 so as to block removal of the headrest from the shaft. It may be here mentioned that the covering on the rear side of the headrest 19 is secured in position subsequent to assembling the said headrest on said shaft so as to allow access to the inner side of the headrest. A pawl 25 pivoted as at 26 on the frame 20 of the headrest extends into engagement with the ratchet wheel and is normally held engaged therewith by means of a flat leaf spring 27. The pawl has a depending arm 28 to which there is secured a button 29 which projects through the outer edge wall 30 of the headrest with its end flush therewith.

The headrest has its front and back surfaces flush with the corresponding surfaces of the backrest when not in will ride over the teeth of the ratchet wheel and be held at any desired relation of adjustment by the pawl engaging against the back of a tooth. In order to move the headrest in 'a counterclockwise direction and return it to the position of Fig. 2, the button 29 is pushed inwardly to swing the pawl 25 about pivot 26 and out of engagement with the ratchet wheel.

In Fig. 5, the modification shown is substantially similar to that above described with the exception that the headrest is pivoted at the lower portion thereof to the shaft 13. Other than being at a different position, the structure remains the same. In moving the headrest 19' to the position of use, the same is moved in a counterclockwise direction as seen in Fig. 5 and is held against clockwise movement by engagement of the pawl 25 with the back of a ratchet tooth of ratchet wheel 18. It may be here mentioned that the pressure of the spring 27' against the pawl will be of a force sufficient to hold the headrest in place in the normal use thereof.

In Fig. 6, I have shown the headrest 19" as being mounted for swinging movement about a vertically disposed axis. The structure above described in the description of the embodiments shown in Fig. 3 remains the same with the exception of the relative position of shaft 15' which in Fig. 6 is so positioned that its axis extends generally vertically and parallel to the face of the back 11 of the chair.

From the above, it will be apparent that I have disclosed a headrest which is arranged to be moved angularly to any of various positions of adjustment about a fixed shaft so as to provide a generally right angularly extending abutment relative to the front side of the backrest of the chair to be engaged by the side of the head of a user in a relaxed position on said backrest. It will also be apparent that the headrest, when not in use, will be a flush component of the said backrest and will not detract from the general appearance of the backrest.

I claim:

1. In combination, a chair having a back rest with a recess therein, a head rest comprising a hollow block normally in said recess, a shaft extending into said back rest and head rest and providing a rotatable mounting for said head rest, said head rest being angularly movable about ing abutment relative :to said back rest "for engagement with the side of the head ofa user ,extendingina relaxed position on said back rest, a ratchet fixed relative to one of said rests and a spring pressed pawl carried by the other of,,said;1iests .and extending into engagement with said ratchet wheel whereby .to :hold said head rest in ad justed position and a finger piece'taccessible from .theexterior of the ;part in which said pawlis;carried;for:operating said pawl.

2. In eombinationas set forth in claim ,1 whereimsaid recess extends inwardly from the upper edge of said backrest at one end thereof, and said shaft projects into said-recess at the upper portion thereof.

3. In combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said recess extends inwardly from the .upper edge .of .said

backrest and said shaft projects into said recess at the upper portion thereof.

References Cited'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 444,719 Zapp Ian. 13, 1891 10 2,087,574 Kauffer July 20, 1937 2,652,101 Samsky Sept. 15, 1953 2,760,559 Austin Aug. 28, 1956

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